Hydraulic filter press



March 4, 1930. w. H. MATHERS HYDRAULIC FILTER PRESS 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR By Attorneys,

Filed March 25, 1927 March 4, 1930. w. H. MATHERS mnmumc FILTER PRESS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 25, 1927 INVENTOR MM M4,

By Aitomeys .29 pressure and permanentlymaintainedin adt'he finvention,- I 1 I Figural is'a perspective view of a filter press adapted. for the filtering of clay, in

prising a screw (not shown), mounted in one of the end supports 23, having suitable gear- A A ing (not shown) Whereby it may be caused to forcibly advance the platen 25 and sub ect the slon.

Patented Mar. 4, i930 Y WIL IAM H.

ing. 9 It is a purpose of the I PATEN OFFICE M rHEns, or nonnis, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR 'ro RICHARD DUDGEON, mo, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION or new YORK I HYDRAULIC FILTER rnnss Application mumps, 1927. Serial No. 178,373.

1 This invention relatesto improvements in filter presses adapted for use in: the filtering V of clay andforanalogous purposes.

j Heretofore the power unit or compressing element of a filter press of the above-described character has comprised a screw jack mounted in one endof the supportingframeof the press, 'said jack being driven by suitablegearpresent invention to materially increase the speed ofoperation of xthe press and at the same time reduce the manual labor involved. This has been effeCted by'rdevisinga simple means of sub'sti- :tuting a hydraulic jack for the screw mechanism and providing the same with suitable operating mechanism .wherebythe ram may,

' r if desired, be rapidly advanced by mechanical means prior to the application of hydraulic vanced position,-an'd whereby the ram may automaticallyr I A rIn the accompanying drawing illustrating which the invention is embodied.

A p Fig. 2is1a top: view of one endof the press,

InFig, s disclosed a filter of a wen known typecomprising filter elements,

. suspended overatro'ugh21 by means of ii spaced rails or bars 22 having end supports 23 and intermediate sup orts'24.

. 'In filter presses of the a eve-described character, the filter units have heretofore been providedwith compression mechanism com filter-unitsto the desired degree of compresscrew and gearing. VVhenapplied in this mannerpthe jack may comprise a ram 28 mounted in a cylinder 29 having its base 30 placed against the inner surface of the support 23 over the threaded opening 31 originally provided to receive the removed screw.

A simple and practical, but ingenious, means.

whereby the jack may be secured to 'theend support, as'disclosed in Fig. 2, may comprise a retaining plate or disk 32 placed against the outer surface of the end support 23 over the opposite end of the threaded opening 31,.and the jack and plate maybe firmly clamped together by means of appropriate fastening devices such, for example, as studs 33 each having one end inthreaded engage ment with the base of the cylinder 29 and having its other end passed through an opening in the plate32 and secured by means of a nut 34.

' able fastening devices 37 The platen may be provided withjend rollers 38 in the usual manner, whereby it may be supported upon and move along the bars or rails 22.

Liquid may be forced into the base of the cylinder behind the ram by any appropriate means such,,for example, as a pumping device represented in conventional form in Fig.

3. Such a pumping device may comprise a liquid container39 including a chamber or reservoir 40 from which liquid may be pumped by the plunger 41 when reciprocated by means of the lever 42 through the pipe 43 to the base of the cylinder 29 of the jack 26. The flow of liquid may be controlled by suit in which the end able means represented conventionally as comprising an inlet valve 44 and an outlet valve 45. These valves, when effective, permit liquid to be drawn from the reservoir 40 into the pump chamber 46 during the upward stroke of the lever 42, and "from the pump chamber 46 into the piping 43 duringjthe down stroke of the lever. These. valves, when eii'ective, prevent return flow of the fluid either from the pipe 43 to ithep'um'p chamber 46 or from the chamber 46 to'the reservoir 40. e

To provide for the return of fiuid from the cylinder of'the jackto the reservoir 40 when the ram is returned/toward the base of the cylinder, the pump may include a bypass. 47,: therebyafiording a. free passage around the valve' This by-pass may be conll d b y appropriate means suchflfor example, as the needle valve 48. If desired, a pressure gage 49 may be connected with the pumping device at anv suitable point between the valve'45 and the jack.

"The conduit from the pumping devicemay be connected by suitable couplings 50, 51 with a nipple 52, whi-ch'may bepassed through an'openingin the retaining plate 32' and have threaded engagement'with the base 30 of the cylinder 29." V 1 r fMeans may, if. desired, be provided whereby the ram may be positively maintained in any "position to which it maybe advanced by hydraulic pressure without maintaining such pressure-for such purpose; As herein disc1osed,"thisretaining means comprises a reg talnin'gnut 53 having threaded engagement with-the exposed end of the ram. This nutmay be provided with radial spokes'54 where'- by it may be rotated, or, if preferred, itin'ay be provided with openings 55 in its periphery of an operating tool may be inserted. V I

Means may also be provided whereby the min may be rapidly advanced in the cylinder orreturned when free. 'As herein disclosed,

such operating meansis indicated as coinprising a pinion 56' rotatably mounted within a gear case 57 forming a part ofthe cylinder '29,- said pinion having meshed engage ment with a rack 58 cut into the adj aCentsur face portion of the ram. The end portion' 59 (Fig. 1) or" the shaft to which the pinion should be fixedlysecured may be provided with a radial'opening to receive an operating handle whereby the pinion may be rotated.

lVhen itis desired to subject the filter elements to compression, the ram may be rapidly advanc ed'by means ofthe rack and pinion 56, '58, until its end is brought in contact with the filler 35. To 'facilitatethis rapid advancement ofthe ram, the valve 48 controlling the by-pass'47 of the pumping element (Fig; 3) should first be opened; The filter elements may then be subjected to the, required degree of compression by closing the valve 480i the pumping element and then reciprocating the lever 42, thereby forcing liquid under high 7 pressure from the reservoir 40- into the base of the cylinder 29 (Fig. 2)v until the ram has been advanced sufiiciently to produce the desired degree of compression. i The retaining nut 53 may then be rotated" and thereby moved along the threaded endof the ram until its rear surface is brought in contact with the v exposed end'surface. of the'cylinder 29,- thu's: ,nmintaimng the rain in its advanced position 7 without maintaining the hydraulic pressure in the cylinder. I

When it is desired toirelease the filter units from the pressure of the jack, the ram may be slightly advanced byimpartingflone ormore strokes to the pumping mechanism,

thereby freeing the retaining nut, which may then be advanced: along the threaded end of the ram, after which the ram may. be returned to its normal positionby the' rackiand'pinion after firstopening the valvev48 controlling, the by-passlin thepumping element? After the ram has been withdrawn, filler-block 35 may {be "swung about'th eflattachin'g element37 to a position out'of-line with the jack, thereby permitting. the platen 25 to 'be moved forwardlyso as .to provide working space needed in the removal or the contents of. the filter and in: preparing the material. H

filter elements -for a 'subse'quent; charge of.

the?

In- Fig. 4 i's 'illustrated' a modified form .7

of the invention adapted "for use when the jack isto be applied to anew installation; As herein disclosedythe endssupport23 is provided with an opening 31 of suiiicient? 1 diameter to receivethe base portion of the. W cylinder29 andtheflangeBO.is indicated as being disposed at some considerableTdisT- tance from the'basel'ofthe cylinder-in order that the flange mayrestagainst'theinnersura the cylinder is substantiallyflush lwithFthe outer surface of the support-23'1" This form ofthe invention dispenses with the'neces's'ity of making use of: the retaining plate 32 and the studs and nuts 33', 34 usedias a 'pa'rtof the form of the invention illustrated in Fig; 2. The form of the invention; illustrated in Fig.

'4 is also adapted for use when the hydraulic jack is to be-substitutedfor a removed screw jack of the type in -whichthe threaded-ele- 'face of the end support 23"when the end of .iiox

illustrated in Fig. 4, such-automatic restor' ing means 'may comprise a cross-barf60yse cured in-any appropriatemanner to theen'd of the ram and connected by means of afieii' iao ible'cable 61passing over pulleys 62 to'a weight 63. The pulleys may be mounted in suitable brackets 64:, which may be secured to any appropriate part of the jack by screws 65 or other suitable fastening devices.

. In the form of the invention illustrated in Fig. 4, the jack may be secured to the end support by bolts 33 passing" through the flange and having threaded engagement with the end support. 7 7

- The operation of the form of the device illustrated in Fig. 4 is identical with that of the form illustrated in Fig. 3.

It will be apparent that the rack and pinion of either form ofthe invention herein disclosed may be omitted, if desired, in which ing its base mounted against the inner surface of said support over the threaded opening originally provided to receive the screw, a

retaining plate mounted against the outer surface of said support over the opposite end of said threaded opening, and fastening elements passing through said opening and connecting the base of said hydraulic jack with said retaining plate.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto signed my name. V WILLIAM H. MATHERS.

case the ram may be advanced solely by hy- I, v

I If the weight and cable attachment is used [in association withthe rack and pinion, the

latter may be relied upon to advance the ram I up to the point at which hydraulic pressure is to be applied, and the restoration of the ram may be automatically efiected' by! the weight and cable attachment when the pressure has'be'en released.

.It willfbe apparent that the speed'of opera- 5;

it ing of clay, and for like purposes, may be tion of presses adapted for usein the filter- V materially enhanced when modified in accordance with the invention herein described,as compared with presses of the prior art dependent upon a simple screw and gearing as the pressure-elfecting element. As clearly indicated in Fig. 3, this conversion effected Without resort to skilled labor and without making any alterations in the old type of press other than to remove the screw of a filter press of the prior art into one embodying the present invention may be readily an'd gearing andfasten the hydraulic press in its place. Onthe other hand, if the by draulic press is applied to a new installation,

a material portion of the jack may be housed 1 within the end support, thereby making it inserting additional filter units.

1 The invention is not intended to be limited to the specific forms thereof herein disclosed for purposes of illustration, but should be I regarded as covering modifications and variations thereof within the scope of the appended claim.

What I claim is:

A filter press havinga hydraulic jack mounted in its end support in place of a re moved screw jack, said hydraulic jack havpossible to either shorten the press to that extent or increase the capacity of the press by i 

